Speedometer.



R. ABELL. SPEEDOMETER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. ABELL.' SPEEDOMETER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13; 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fnaeiziaa? UNITED STATES PATENT omen I 01' BOSTON, 'MASSAGHUSETTS.

" "s rnmnounrnm I Specifications! mtersratent.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed December 18, 1908. Serial No. 532,835.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, RoLLIN ABELL, a 'citi: zen of the United States, residing in Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massa= Cl'lllRttS, have invented 'an Improvement in Speedometers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanylng drawings, is: a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to motor cycles of that class commonly known as spring forked motor cycles, in which the front fork of the machine is connected with a support, which is pivotally mounted on the axle of the front wheel. v

The present invention has for its object to provide motor cycles of the class referred towitha speedometer, which is operatively connected with.a-nd driven from the front wheel of the motor cycle and the driving mechanism of which 1s supported, so that the accuracy of the speedometer is not'interfered withsby movement of ,the spring fork or vibration of the machine. For this purpose, the axle of the front wheel has loosely mounted on it a support for thetion. Fig. 2, a detail in section on-the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking down; Figs. 3 and 4, details of the support for the flexible shaft shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6, details to be referred to; Fig. 7, a modification to be referred to; Figs. 8 and 9, details of the modified form of support shown in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 1 is shown a portion of one con structionof spring forked motor cycle of known make, which comprises the frame (1, forks b, front wheel 0 provided with the axle d, upon which is pivotally mounted at its opposite ends elbow levers 6, only" one of which is shown, to one arm of each of which is pivoted at f one of the forks b and to the other arm of which is pivoted an upright rodg, which isconnected at its upper end to a spring-h attached .to the frame-a. The machine is provided with a speedometer 10 of any suitable or known construction, which is shown as secured ,to the handle bar 12 by a. clip 13 and is operatively connected with a pinion 15 ,by an intermediate flexible shaft, not shown, but which is, inclosed within a suitable hollow shaft 16. The pinion 15 may be designated the driving pinion for the mechanism of the speedometer and is itself driven by a gear 18 suitably secured to the, front wheel. 0.

The present-invention has for its objectto equip motor cycles of the class referred to with a speedometer, which will accurately indicate the speed and distance and besubstantiall uninfluenced by the vibration of the cyc], forks. This result is accomplished as ,herein shown by providing a support for the hollow shaft 16 and the driving pinion 15,

so that the latter has a fixed or substan'- tially fixed relation at all times to the gear 18 and to the frame of the 'machine.' The support referred-,to is shown in Figs. 1 to e or by. movement of the. spring 4-as a lever 20 comprising a hub and armsv 21, 22, which are offset with relation to said hub as shown iii Fig. 4.

The lever 20 is loosely mounted on the axle d of the front .wheel, and as shown in Fig.2, saidT-lever is mounted on the hub 30 of a-Ln 31, which is screwed upon the end oi-the axle. The arm 21 of the lever has se- Cured to it a clip 32, which supports the hollow shaft 16 and the pinion 15, and the arm 22 of said 'lever has secured to. it a guide rod 33, which extends loosely through a guide. 34. (see .Figs. 5 and 6), which is secured to the. rod g. The offset arm 22 enables the pinion 15 to be brought into mesh with the gear 18 attached to the front wheel 0.

By reference to Fig. 1, 'it will be seen that the support or lever 20 is concentric with relation to-the front wheel 0 and the gear 18 attached thereto, and moves with the front -wheel and is uninfluenced or substantially uninfluenced by the movement of the spring fork or the lever e to which the latter is] connected. As a result, the speedometer accurately indicates the speed of the motor cycle and also the distance traveled;

by the latter, inasmuch as the pinion 15 has a fixed or substantially fixed relation to the gear 18 and is uninfiuenced by the oscillation of the lever e.

In Fig. 7, is shown a different construction of spring forked motor cycle, in which the forks are attached to a lever 4-0 pivoted at one end on the axle and having its opposite end pivotally connected with the forks 7), while at an intermediatwpoint 41 is pivoted the lower end -12 of a telescopic tube, which has itsupper part 13 attached to the frame a of the machine and is yieldingly supported by a spring l t, which is located between the tubes 42, 413. -This construction of motor cycle is of known make, and to provide the same with a speedometer 10, which uninfiuenced in its operation by the oscillation of the lever 40, an upright lever 50 (see Figs. 8 and 9) is loosely mounted on the axle (Z and has attached to it the clip 51, which supports the hollow shaft 16 and the pinion 15.

The lever 50 is provided at. its upper end with an off-set portion to which the guide rod 33 is attached, said rod being extended through the guide 3-1 attached, as shown, to the mud guard 50. In the construction and arrangement shown in Fig. 7, it will be observed that the pinion 15 is in fixed or substantially fixed relation to the gear 18, and consequently inaccuracies in theoperation of the speedometer are avoided, inasmuch as the relation of the pinion 15 to the gear 18 is not influenced by the oscillation of the lever 40.

Claims.

1. In a motor cycle of the class described, in combination, a front wheel, a gear attached to the front wheel, a pinion in mesh with said gear, a speedometer carried by the cycle, means driven by said pinion opcrating said speedometer, a support for said pinion looselyrmounted uponsaid aXle indc iendently of said gear, and means cooperating with said support to prevent oscillation of the said pinion with relation to said gear, substantially as described.

2. In a motor cycle of the class described, provided with a front wheel, a spring fork and with a support for said fork pivotally mounted on the axle of the front wheel, in combination with a speedometer carried by said cycle, a gear attached to the frontavhcel, a pinion meshing with said gear and operatively connected with said speedon'ieter, and a support for said pinion separate. from the support for the spring fort; and independl l t t t l t t t l ent of said gear and loosely mounted on the axle of said front wheel, substantially as described.

In a motor cycle of the class described, provided with a front wheel, a spring fork' and with a support for said fork pivotally mounted onthe axle of the front wheel, in

combination with a speedometer carried by said cycle, a driving member attached to said front wheel, a driving mechanism for said speedometer actuated by said driving member, and asupport for said mechanism loosely mounted on the avle of said front wheel and independent of the support for the spring fork and of said driving member and capable of maintaining a substantially fixed relation between said driving mechanism and said front wheel and preventing substantial oscillation of said pinion with relation to said gear, substantially as described.

4:. In a motor cycle of the class described, provided with a front wheel, a spring fork and with a support for said fork pivotally mounted on the axle of the front wheel, in C(Jll'lbilltltiflll with a speedometer carried by said cycle, a driving mechanism for said speedometer including a pinion, a gear at tached to said front wheel, and a lever independent of the support for said spring fork and loosely mounted on said-axle, a guide rod connected with said lever, and a guide for said rod, substantially as described.

5. In a motor cycle of the class described, provided with a front wheel, a spring fork and an oscillating support therefor, a speedometer carried by said cycle, a driving n1ember attached to said wheel, a driving mechanism for said speedometer actuated by the said driving member, a support for said driving mechanism loosely'mounted on the axle of said front wheel said driving member, and means cooperating with said support for maintaining a substantially fixed relation between said driving mechanism and said front wheel and for preventing substantial oscillation of said pinion with relation to said gear, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have s name to this specification in the of two subscribing witnesses.

ROLLIN ABEL L,

igned my presence Witnesses:

JAS. If. Cnoncunm, J. BIURPHL' too 

